Padres third baseman preview: Headley's back in San Diego
From now until Spring Training concludes, Fox Sports San Diego will preview each player at each position that is in big league camp.
Previous position previews:
Starting pitchers
Catchers
First base
Second base
Shortstop
Today we will take a look at the hot corner, where an old friend may very well reside on Opening Day.
When 3B Chase Headley was traded by the Yankees to the Padres in December, he did not really know if that was where he was going to play in 2018:
https://twitter.com/annieheilbrunn/status/964878864223690757
Well, as Opening Day nears, it seems more and more likely that that place will be San Diego.
Favorite to start: Chase Headley
Headley was drafted by the Padres in the second round of the 2005 MLB First Year Player Draft. He broke into the big leagues a few years later, playing eight games in 2007 before becoming a regular in 2008. A former top prospect in the Padres' system, Headley's career in San Diego was steady but not spectacular. In eight seasons as a Padre, Headley hit .266/.346/.410 with 87 home runs and a 113 OPS+.
His best year came in 2012, when the third baseman put it all together for one magnificent season. Headley hit 31 homers, drove in an NL-leading 115 runs, and hit .286 with a 145 wRC+. He led all third baseman in fWAR (7.5) and was fourth in that category in all of baseball; only behind Mike Trout, Buster Posey, and Robinson Cano. Not only did he win a silver slugger award, but his defense at third base also earned him a gold glove.
He has been unable to replicate a season like 2012, but that does not mean he is not useful. In 2013, Headley put up a 3.6 WAR and a .347 OBP. After talks with the front office broke down on a potential long-term contract, Headley was shipped to New York in the middle of the 2014 season, where he stayed until his recent trade back to San Diego.
As a Yankee, Headley hit .262/.339/.387 with a 96 OPS+ in 501 total games. In his most recent season, the 33-year-old hit 12 home runs, registered 61 RBI, and got on base at a .352 clip.
This year, the Padres are putting an emphasis on getting on base more. Although they set a franchise record for home runs in 2017, San Diego was the worst team in all of baseball at getting on base. Andy Green & co. are hoping a few new players and a different approach will help. Although Chase Headley might not necessarily be the player he was during his first stint as a Padre, his ability to get on base will certainly be an asset.
Backup options:
The Padres signed Villanueva, a former top 100 prospect, to a minor league contract during the 2016 offseason. The former Cub farmhand was coming off a fractured fibula that caused him to miss all of the 2016 season. The 26-year-old shined with his new organization, hitting 20 home runs and registering a .896 OPS at AAA El Paso. His performance earned him a late-season call up to the Padres. In his first MLB start, Villanueva homered. He ended up hitting 11-32 (.344) with four homers in 12 games.
Thus far in spring training, Villanueva has been drawing rave reviews. Heading into Friday's game vs. the White Sox, the Mexico native was hitting 10-23 (.435) with three home runs and 11 RBI. The Padres are trying him out at first base, and manager Andy Green has said they are going to experiment with him at shortstop as well. It seems more and more likely that Villanueva will make the big league team with a chance to eventually take over everyday 3B duties if he performs.
Spangenberg played most of 2017 at third base, and although he had the best production of his career at the plate, his defense was poor. With Headley and Villanueva manning the hot corner, expect Spangenberg to play very sparingly at 3rd (barring an injury or trade).
Others in camp:
Coleman has played some third this spring, and could come up to the big and play third in an emergency situation. He is hitting 4-19 (.211) this spring.
Guerra is a natural shortstop, but with Fernando Tatis Jr. expected to start in AA San Antonio, he might play some third base. He started four games there in 2017.
The Padres view Tatis Jr. as a shortstop, and that is where they expect him to play. However, he has played a little bit of third base here and there, including three starts there last year in AA San Antonio.
